Halsey/Spruance families
Merlin Dorfman
that a Mr. W. Halsey Spruance, great-grandson of Admrial Halsey, had
become a benefactor of the museum. I inquired whether the gentleman
might also be related to Admiral Spruance, and if so, what the
relationship was. The reply was that he was indeed related to both
admirals but the specific nature was not known.
I'm now reading Evan Thomas's "Thunder at Sea," about the Battle
for Leyte Gulf (which he and other recent authors call the Battle "of"
Leyte Gulf) and the background of four officers, two on each side, who
participated. The book states that Spruance's son Edward married
Halsey's daughter Margaret. I was very surprised not to have known this
given that I had read much about both Halsey and Spruance. I re-opened
Buell's bio of Spruance, and it says only that Edward's wife was named
Josephine--no maiden name, family history, or any additional information.
Normally I would instantly trust Buell's more professional history--
his books have received many awards, and I had noted several mistakes in
the first 100 pages or so of Thomas's book, e.g., calling the Little
Beavers "Task Force 23" instead of Destroyer Squadron 23; misspelling
Artemus Gates's first name "Artemis," and others. But there's that
nagging fact that W. Halsey Spruance is related to both...and that
"Josephine" existed in a vacuum...so I have to give some credibility to
Thomas on this point. (Thomas also has some personal details about
Halsey that were much more than I had seen elsewhere--and some of which I
frankly would rather not know.)
Surely Buell could not have been unaware of the background of Mrs.
Edward Spruance. Is it possible that "Josephine" was disinformation; that
for some reason the family didn't want it to be published that the lady
(who was probably still alive at the time of writing, and indeed might
even be alive today) was Admiral Halsey's daughter? But it must have been
in the public record at the time of the marriage, and known directly to
many friends and relatives of both families. Thus wouldn't it be futile
to try to conceal the relationship?
Any information on this topic would be appreciated.
Joe Osman
published on July 28, 1991. It states that the bride is a
great-grandson of Admiral Halsey and does not mention Admiral Spruance.
Joe
Merlin Dorfman
> The New York Times has the wedding of William Halsey Spruance, Jr.
> published on July 28, 1991. It states that the bride is a
(I hope it said "groom!")
> great-grandson of Admiral Halsey and does not mention Admiral Spruance.
I did a good deal of poking around on the web and believe I
have it figured out. Halsey's daughter married a Spruance--Preston
Lea Spruance--who was a distant cousin of the admiral. If anybody
is interested in more details, let me know. (E.g., Preston Lea
Spruance III, aka Trey, is a rock musician and composer!)
hspr...@brandywine.org
Hello, my name is William Halsey Spruance, Jr., the groom referred to
in the New York Times article (from a long time ago) and one of many
benefactors of the Battle New Jersey Museum. I can assure you that
Evan Thomas is INCORRECT and Joe Osman is CORRECT. Admiral Spruance's
son did NOT marry Admiral Halsey's daughter. Halsey's daughter,
Margaret (my grandmother), married Preston Lea Spruance (my
grandfather), the son of William Corbit Spruance, Jr. and the grandson
of William Corbit Spruance, Sr. Preston Lea Spruance was a distant
cousin of Admiral Spruance, emphasis on distant.
I, too, recently read Evan Thomas' "Sea of Thunder" and I, too, was
baffled by his blunder on the lineage. Frankly, his misrepresentation
of that made me question the validity of every other statement in the
book. I called Thomas to correct the error, and he was cordial on the
phone, but once its in print, it's impossible to call back all of the
copies.
Lesson learned: Trust in Buell.